NXT results: TakeOver marks The End of The Beginning

Andrade "Cien" Almas looks to make an impact in his debut against Tye Dillinger: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

“The Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger was out to make the most of the opportunity NXT General Manager William Regal gave him after campaigning to be included in NXT TakeOver, but Andrade “Cien” Almas had other plans. The two competitors looked evenly matched in the early moments of the match as they traded holds and jockeyed for position.

Almas gained the upper hand after adjusting mid-air to catch a grounded Dillinger with a dropkick. The newcomer wowed the NXT Universe with a dazzling double-jump moonsault off the ropes and a back-handspring knee strike. Dillinger fought back, nearly catching the rookie with the Tye-Breaker, but Almas escaped and crushed “The Perfect 10” with charging double knees in the corner to make his debut a successful one.

Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson regain the NXT Tag Team Championships from Jason Jordan & Chad Gable: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

The tension between the NXT Tag Team Champions and their challengers was palpable, as the determined duo of Dash & Dawson set out to reclaim the titles they crave. The Revival succeeded early on by isolating Chad Gable, but there was little the surly pair could do to contain the red-hot Jason Jordan, who left The Revival reeling with picture-perfect dropkicks.

The Revival began to resort to nefarious tactics to keep American Alpha from retaining their titles. Dash & Dawson went back to cutting the ring in half, pummeling Gable and doing everything they could to keep the former Olympian from tagging Jordan in. However, Gable finally slipped out of their grasp and sent Jordan into action. Jordan bulldozed through Dash & Dawson, but was slowed down after being sent face-first into the turnbuckles.

All four men engaged in a big scramble, with American Alpha nearly hitting Grand Amplitude, but the wily challengers countered by nailing Jordan with the Shatter Machine to regain the titles and become the only two-time champions in NXT history.

Legendary manager and WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering enters Full Sail University after a massive duo clad in black brutally attack Jason Jordan & Chad Gable: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

American Alpha’s night, however, was not over. Jordan & Gable barely had any time to process that they had lost the NXT Tag Team Titles when they were ambushed by a pair of monsters clad in combat gear. The titans steamrolled over Jordan & Gable, leaving the former champions in a heap. The NXT Universe was stunned by the demolition, and even more shocked when WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering emerged to call the devastating duo to the back. Why is Ellering in NXT, and who has he unleashed on the tag team division?

The NXT Universe was on its feet as two of NXT’s biggest free-agent signings — Shinsuke Nakamura and Austin Aries — collided for the first time. The two Superstars looked evenly matched, though Nakamura had Aries on his heels, nearly taking his head off with a big kick. Aries, who entered the bout with heavily taped ribs, answered by escaping The King of Strong Style’s clutches and dropkicking him. Nakamura had the NXT Universe firmly in his corner, but may have taken a little too long in playing to them, allowing Aries to recover and target his leg.

“The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” pounced on the attack, working over Nakamura’s leg. Aries drove his knee into his rival’s back, putting Nakamura in a vulnerable position that he hadn’t been seen in since arriving in NXT. Despite the weakened leg, Nakamura battled back to his feet and staggered Aries with three devastating kicks to his injured midsection. Aries survived and sent Nakamura to the arena floor with a huge elbow, where he followed up with a dive through the ropes.

Aries looked to be in control, even locking on Last Chancery in the middle of the ring, but The King of Strong Style wriggled his way out from under Aries and got to the ropes. “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” stayed on Nakamura, driving The King of Strong Style into the ring apron with a Death Valley Driver. Aries tried to put Nakamura away with another dive to the floor, but flew right into the steel guardrail after his opponent moved. Nakamura threw Aries back in the ring, where he clobbered Aries with the Kinshasa to put the exclamation point on a huge victory for The King of Strong Style.

After a hard-fought battle, Asuka holds onto her NXT Women's Championship against the formidable Nia Jax: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

Despite the vicious attack that left Asuka lying last week, the NXT Women’s Champion went right after Nia Jax, throwing a series of strikes that left the No. 1 contender backtracking. However, as the bout wore on, it became apparent that Asuka’s normal game plan of clobbering her opposition with a flurry of fists and boots would not work, as Jax rag-dolled her around with ease. The Empress of Tomorrow regrouped and instead tried to take Jax out with submissions, including the guillotine hold that Bayley used to defeat Jax at TakeOver: London.

However, Jax learned from that match, powering out and suplexing The Empress of Tomorrow into the canvas. The towering Jax was in the driver’s seat, outmatching the NXT Women’s Champion with pure power. Asuka refused to stay down, catching a seated Nia with a knee to face. Having found her opening, Asuka’s battle cry echoed through Full Sail University as she whaled away on Jax with four devastating kicks, the last of which put the challenger down for the three-count and ensured Asuka’s undefeated streak remained intact and the NXT Women’s Championship remained around her waist.

Finn Bálor looks to dethrone NXT Champion Samoa Joe in the first-ever NXT Steel Cage Match: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

The Demon rose at NXT TakeOver: The End… and seemed right at home inside the steel cage that encased the squared circle. The only bad thing for Finn Bálor was that Samoa Joe did, too. After entering the ring, the NXT Champion was happy to slam the door shut and stare down The Demon. The first Steel Cage Match in NXT history started off with both men taking their time in sizing each other up, only for Joe to try to escape through the cage door.

The two competitors traded control of the bout until Samoa Joe overpowered Bálor, hurling The Demon into the unforgiving steel with reckless abandon. Joe thought he was done after dishing out that punishment, but Bálor would not let him out of the cage. The challenger rebounded and sent Joe crashing into the steel with a big dropkick, and tried to climb over Joe and out of the cage. The battle soon made its way to the ropes, as both men tried to get out. At a stalemate, Bálor took Joe down to the mat with the Sling Blade. However, Joe countered a corner dropkick from the challenger, eventually hitting Bálor with the Muscle Buster, only for The Demon to kick out.

Bálor put Joe on the canvas with a pair of dropkicks and followed up with the Coup de Grace, but Joe got his shoulder up at the last second. That woke something up in Bálor, who immediately tried to connect with 1916. The NXT Champion countered with the Coquina Clutch, but The Demon slipped out and stomped Joe to the mat. Finn climbed up and was halfway out of the cage when Samoa Joe caught him and hoisted Bálor onto his shoulders. Jumping off the middle rope, Joe drove The Demon into the canvas with a thunderous Super Muscle Buster to get the three-count and retain the title.

In their previous battles, Bálor said he survived the wrath of Samoa Joe. On this night, the submission specialist did the surviving, outlasting The Demon in a brutal Steel Cage Match to retain the NXT Championship.